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DayngrZone Media

Digital Marketing, Advertising and Design in Eastern North Carolina

Four Steps to Creating Content for your Digital Community – Step 1: Strategy

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Creating Content for your Digital Community

Today we are launching a four part series “Four Steps to Creating Content for your Digital Community” to help you create content for today’s fast moving digital and social media community. Many times, people are intimidated and don’t know where to begin when it comes to social media and business. When in reality, it’s not that hard. Allow us to break it down for you in an outline of four simple steps. Follow these steps and you’ll be able to reach a whole new niche of people and get ready to expand!

Build Your Content Strategy

The first part is constructing a content strategy. In other words, planning. “Content” is simply the material you’re putting out there on the Internet. Immediately ask yourself the question “why am I making this? You’ve got to know the answer before moving forward, and it doesn’t have to be anything insanely stellar. Some answers may include:

  • Establishing credibility
  • Increasing traffic to your website
  • Creating leads and driving sales

However, social media gives you more power, as a business owner, than you think. It puts you in control. You control what information you would like to be disseminated to your audience. That being said, you need to consider how and what you want to share with your audience. Again ask yourself why, but on a deeper level. You could be doing this to:

  • Create sharable, meaningful content for your community
  • Connect with your community on a deeper level
  • Develop relationships to get more customers and keep them

BAM! The second set of bullet points really drives the importance of content home, not that the first aren’t incredibly important, both sets are important. The second allows you to see the impact of social media for your business.

Another integral part of building your content strategy are these three things:

  1. The big picture
  2. Your online community
  3. Establishing your tone and voice

The Big Picture

Remember the big picture here, in other words, what you’re writing about. It’s going to be a part of everything you write and be a part of your overall strategy. Details are important, but at this point stay focused on the big picture! Three factors that will make your overall picture, well, BIG are:

  • Make It Broad: Your content needs to be broad enough to work on for a long time
  • Make It Unique: Your content should stand out from the crowd
  • Make It Relevant: Your content should match your expertise and should appeal to a wide variety of community members

Your Online Community

Examine your audience at a deeper level. Exactly, whom are you trying to reach and why? How do they like to be engaged? What problems can you solve that will help them do their jobs better or make their lives easier? Know what your audience wants and needs. Do a little research. Don’t just think of your community as merely your target audience, think about your existing customers, employees, and prospective clients. They’re all consuming your content, possibly sharing it and even helping to establish you as the go-to source in your industry.

For example, if you’re business is trying to reach the millennial audience, your content should include items that speak to their needs, interests and pain points.  Write to those needs and interests in a way that benefits both your business and your audience.

Establish Your Tone and Voice

We’ve covered being unique when it comes to developing the big picture. Let your personality shine! Show off your personality via your tone and brand voice. This moves you away from the corporate jargon to a more personal and relatable tone. For example, brands speak their consumer’s language. Think about this example from Mercedes Benz, at the Miami International Car Show. You don’t have to know everything there is to know about a Mercedes to understand what their brand is all about. Consider your favorite major brands. What are they doing that makes them so easily recognizable? Here are three  things to consider –

  1. They know what makes them interesting
  2. Consumers know what they do
  3. They stick to their big picture in everything they do across their brand. Plus, they’re original and consistent

Now that you’ve got your strategy in hand, including your big picture, online community and your brands voice, you’ll be able to tackle the first and often hardest step of developing your content. Remember, you’re in control with your content. Use these steps and watch your content help your business grow!

Stay tuned for the second part in our series – Going Beyond Text!

With so many different types of content, which should you pick and why? It’s a big question. In the second part of our series, “Four Steps to Creating Successful Content” we’ll explore a variety of mediums for developing content, and we’ll focus on some the latest and greatest.

Have you begun to build your content strategy? What do you find is the most difficult part of building it out? We’d love to know! Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Social Media Isn’t One Size Fits All

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social media tip

If you’re new to social media and social networks, you might have the urge to copy what everyone else is doing. As tempting as it is, let me stress, social media isn’t one size fits all.

There are plenty of articles and case studies showing you which brands are getting it right and how they’re doing it. Heck, I’ve even written about a few and shared my social media best practices. Should you even bother reading them? Absolutely! Just remember that like you, your business and brand has its unique qualities, and your social media strategy should reflect that.

Make It Your Own

Follow your favorite brands. Ask questions. Go ahead and read all those “How To” and “Best Of” posts. Then, take the social media tips and suggestions that resonate with you for your brand, and apply them as needed. But don’t stop there. See what works best and skip the rest. If your community isn’t online at 6 AM like someone else’s, it’s not going to make much sense to post at that time. Copying someone else’s social media plan isn’t exactly the best strategy.

Do Your Homework

Do your homework and find out who your target market is. For example, check your Facebook Page’s “Insights” and see when your community is online, what posts do they interact and engage with the most, and what type of content keeps them coming back for more. Once you know these basics, you can begin to start to build the foundation for your social media strategy.

Do you have a social media marketing strategy for your business? If not, what’s holding you back? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Interested in digital marketing or advertising for your business? DayngrZone Media is a digital marketing boutique in NC, specializing in marketing, advertising, website design and development and social media. 

Digital Marketing and Social Media in Carteret County

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Digital-Marketing-Workshops

Download the list of our Upcoming Digital Marketing Workshops

If you’ve been looking to learn Digital Marketing and Social Media, in Eastern North Carolina, our upcoming classes and workshops will let you dive into social networks like Facebook and Twitter and give you an excellent overview of the hottest social networks, like those already mentions plus others like Pinterest,  Google Plus and more! Learn which social networks best fit your business or industry, compelling statistics you can’t ignore, along with how you can use each social network for your business. This workshop is a must-have if you’re interested in getting started with Social Media Marketing and Content Creation.

Where and When

All our current courses and workshops are held at the Wayne West building at Carteret Community College:

Carteret Community College
3615 Arendell Street
Morehead City, NC 28557
 

Upcoming Social Media Marketing Workshops

Facebook for Your Business, Introduction – March 5th

This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in creating a Facebook page. We’ll cover why a Facebook page is important vs. using a personal Facebook profile for business, how your page works, and all the settings to get your page up and running by the end of the workshop.

Requirements: Attendees must have a personal Facebook profile already created and in use prior to taking this course, and understanding of your industry category (retail, non-profit, etc.) and what you’d like to name your business page. Additionally, you’ll need to bring a digital copy of your business logo, 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best). Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop.

Twitter for Your Business – March 12th

This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in using Twitter as a part of their marketing plan. We’ll cover Twitter basics like learning your way around Twitter, Twitter terminology like tweets, re-tweets, modified tweets, hashtags and more. Learn how to create your Twitter account, set up your profile and some basic best practices. Participants will leave with a fully set up Twitter profile and the ability to create one week’s worth of Tweets. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop.

Requirements: Attendees will need to bring a digital business logo, 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best) and a can-do attitude!

Social Media Marketing Workshop – March 26th

This workshop will give you an excellent overview of the hottest social networks from Facebook to Google Plus! Learn which social networks best fit your business or industry, compelling statistics you can’t ignore, along with how you can use each social network for your business. This workshop is a must-have if you’re interested in getting started with social media marketing and content creation.

Facebook for Your Business, Introduction – April 16th

This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in creating a Facebook page. We’ll cover why a Facebook page is important vs. using a personal Facebook profile for business, how your page works, and all the settings to get your page up and running by the end of the workshop. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop.

Requirements: Attendees must have a personal Facebook profile already created and in use prior to taking this course, and understanding of your industry category (retail, non-profit, etc.) and what you’d like to name your business page. Additionally, you’ll need to bring a digital copy of your business logo, 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best).

Facebook for Your Business, Intermediate – April 23rd

This workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to use their page. We’ll review set-up best practices, dive into posting do’s and don’ts, how to use hashtags, social media policies and terms of use, as well as content creation. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop.

Requirements: Attendees must have a personal Facebook profile already created and in use prior to taking this course, and understanding of your industry. Additionally, you’ll need to bring a digital copy of your business logo and 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best).

Facebook for Your Business, Advanced – May 7th

This workshop is aimed at small business owners that have a Facebook page in place and could use a deeper understanding of how to market more effectively. We will cover the basics of Facebook Ads, insights, demographics and data mining, content scheduling and creation, along with scheduling features and monitoring tools. Learn how to effectively and efficiently manage your Facebook page and community. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop and Facebook Intermediate Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop.

Requirements: Attendees will need to have a Business Facebook page already fully set up with 35 or more fans, 5 bright and colorful digital pictures to use for posts and knowledge of Facebook page management basics.

Registration Information

To register for upcoming classes click the links above, visit the Carteret Community College Small Business Center, or call Wanda W. Bennett at (252) 222-6127.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Interested in digital marketing or social media for your business? DayngrZone Media is an Eastern North Carolina digital marketing boutique, specializing in marketing, advertising, website design and development and social media.

Learn How Social Media Marketing Can Work for You

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Get Social Banner

We’ve got a great opportunity for you this evening, to learn Social Media Marketing in Eastern North Carolina, our Social Media Marketing Workshop will give you an excellent overview of the hottest social networks from Facebook to Google Plus! Learn which social networks best fit your business or industry, compelling statistics you can’t ignore, along with how you can use each social network for your business. This workshop is a must-have if you’re interested in getting started with Social Media Marketing and Content Creation.

Where and When

We’re offering this Social Media Marketing course, tonight, January 8th from 6:00-9:00 pm at Carteret Community College in Morehead City, Wayne West Building Room 116. Register for Social Media Marketing for Your Business. See you there!

Carteret Community College
3615 Arendell Street
Morehead City, NC 28557
 

Upcoming Social Media Marketing Workshops

To register for upcoming digital marketing and social media classes, click the links above, visit the Carteret Community College Small Business Center, or call Wanda W. Bennett at (252) 222-6127.

Interested in digital marketing and advertising or social media for your business? DayngrZone Media is an Eastern North Carolina digital marketing boutique, specializing in marketing, advertising, website design and development and social media.

11 Smart Ways To Use Twitter for Your Business

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cartoon pic of person looking at cell phone

Photo © Common Craft

Whether you’re watching the news, your favorite show or reading a magazine, you’ve probably noticed that Twitter is everywhere. So how can you tap into Twitter’s power for your business? In this article, we’ll give you 11 smart ways you can use Twitter for your business.

11 Smart Ways You Can Use Twitter for Your Business

  1. Connect with your customers, prospects and anyone who @ mentions you.
  2. Connect with the people and businesses who follow you and follow them back.
  3. Build an engaged following by participating in relevant Tweetchats, retweeting others, and talking to those you’re connected to.
  4. Share company news.
  5. Share company events.
  6. Share exclusive content that followers and fans can’t get anywhere else.
  7. Use hashtags to make your content more discoverable.
  8. Create your own brand-related hashtag for fans can follow along. [See: #mycrystalcoast]
  9. Monitor your competition. [Use tools like Mention, SocialBro, Hootsuite]
  10. Listen for mentions. [Again, you can use the tools mentioned above, don’t forget Twitter Search, too.]
  11. Include links to your content to drive traffic to your website.

This isn’t a complete list of ways you can use twitter for your business but it is a great start. Take a look at your favorite brands and businesses to see how they use Twitter. What can ideas can you take away from them and apply to your business?

Are you using Twitter for your business? If so, what would you add to this list? Let us know in the  comments below.

Twitter For Business Class

Interested in learning all about how to use Twitter for your business and why you might want to? Register for tonight’s Twitter for Business class at Carteret Community College in Morehead City, or register  for the next Twitter For Business class on March 12th.

Social Media Marketing for Your Business

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Get Social Banner

If you’ve been looking to learn Social Media Marketing in Eastern North Carolina, our Social Media Marketing Workshop will give you an excellent overview of the hottest social networks from Facebook to Google Plus! Learn which social networks best fit your business or industry, compelling statistics you can’t ignore, along with how you can use each social network for your business. This workshop is a must-have if you’re interested in getting started with Social Media Marketing and Content Creation.

Where and When

We’re offering this course December 3rd, Wednesday, 6:00-9:00 pm, at Carteret Community College in Morehead City, Wayne West Building Room 115. Register for Social Media Marketing for Your Business. See you there!

Carteret Community College
3615 Arendell Street
Morehead City, NC 28557
 

Upcoming Social Media Marketing Workshops

To register for upcoming classes click the links above, visit the Carteret Community College Small Business Center, or call Wanda W. Bennett at (252) 222-6127.

Interested in digital marketing or social media for your business? DayngrZone Media is an Eastern North Carolina digital marketing boutique, specializing in marketing, advertising, website design and development and social media.

Twitter for Business Workshop

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Get Social Banner

Get ready for another great social media workshop! Our Twitter for Business workshop is scheduled for November 12th. This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in using Twitter as a part of their marketing plan. We’ll cover Twitter basics like learning your way around Twitter, Twitter terminology like tweets, retweets, modified tweets, hashtags and more. Learn how to create your Twitter account, set up your profile and some basic best practices. Attendees will need to bring a digital business logo, 5 large digital photos (bright and colorful pictures work best), and a can-do attitude! Participants will leave with a fully set up Twitter profile and the ability to create one week’s worth of  Tweets. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended, prior to attending this workshop.

When and Where

This course will be held on Wednesday, November 12th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the Carteret Community College Small Business Center, Wayne West Building, room 317.  Click the link and register for the Twitter for Business Workshop now. Hope to see you there!

Carteret Community College
3615 Arendell St
Morehead City, NC 28557

Upcoming Social Media Marketing Workshops

To register for upcoming classes click the links above, visit the Carteret Community College Small Business Center, or call Wanda W. Bennett at (252) 222-6127.

Don’t Miss A Minute

Don’t miss a thing! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter over on the sidebar and get updates delivered right to your inbox.

Social Media Strategy, Visual Marketing, Advanced Blogging Analytics and More!

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Social Media Strategy, Visual Marketing, Advanced Blogging Analytics and more all rolled into one event during the first week of Social Media Success Summit. Here’s what we covered, what we learned about and what we can’t wait to share with you!

DETAILED SCHEDULE: WEEK 1, DAY 1

KEYNOTE: How to Succeed by Continuously Showing Up: Drip Feed Marketing by Mike Stelzner

TOPIC: Social Media Strategy

What would happen if your business was constantly “top of mind” with customers and prospects? This is easier to accomplish than most marketers think. And you don’t need to be an excellent writer, have a good voice or look good on video. Instead, you need a system that allows you to keep delivering value to people who most want it, over and over again. In his keynote, Michael Stelzner (founder of Social Media Examiner and author of Launch) reveals a new way to nurture a following who’ll gladly evangelize your business and purchase what you have to sell. You’ll leave empowered to rethink the way you approach social media and content marketing.

How to Use Visual Content to Drive Massive Social Media Engagement by Kim Garst

TOPIC: Visual Marketing

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? In the world of social media, the answer is a resounding “YES!” Study after study confirms that visuals are shared more and drive more engagement than any other type of content. In this session, visual content strategist Kim Garst shares tips, tricks and techniques to find, create and distribute stunning visual content. More importantly, you’ll discover how to use visuals to tell your company story, reveal its core values and promote your products and services.

How Examining Two Numbers in Your Analytics Will Make You a Better Blogger by Andy Crestodina

TOPIC: Advanced Blogging Analytics

Do you know what content on your blog is the best? Here’s a hint, it’s likely not what you think. The real truth is waiting to be discovered in your analytics. You just need to know where it’s hiding. Join Google Analytics expert Andy Crestodina (author of Content Chemistry) as he shows you how to measure what matters most and breaks down the factors that’ll help you gauge the success of a blog post. You’ll discover how small changes can have a big impact on your future content.

WEEK 1, DAY 2; THEME: Social Media Strategy

Unlocking Your Perfect Social Media Strategy by Mark Schaefer

TOPIC: Social Media Strategy

Do you need a social media strategy? Coming up with a strategy for your marketing plan might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Join Mark Schaefer (author of Social Media Explained and Return on Influence) for this fast-paced and entertaining session. You’ll discover the six questions you need to ask to formulate a smart social media marketing strategy.

How to Build Powerful Relationships on Facebook and Beyond by Mari Smith

TOPIC: Relationship Marketing

Does your marketing depend on strong relationships? Facebook has created a paradigm shift in how we communicate and do business around the world. In this session, Facebook expert Mari Smith (author, The New Relationship Marketing) reveals the art and science to using Facebook to build relationships. You’ll discover how to foster power relationships with key influencers, how to reach more of your potential audience and how to convert people into customers.

How to Grow Your Blog’s Traffic and Revenue by Syed Balkhi

TOPIC: Blogging Strategy

Is your blog receiving the traffic you think it deserves? Are you looking for ways to make more from your blog? In this session, blogging expert Syed Balkhi (founder of WPBeginner) shares actionable insights on how to grow your blog, optimize your workflow and increase your revenue. You’ll discover how to use Twitter to drive more traffic, how to scientifically utilize your site’s real-estate to maximize your results and how to keep more visitors on your site.

WEEK 1, DAY 3; THEME: Social Media Strategy

How to Take Control of Your Social Body Language to Maximize Your Social Brand by Bryan Kramer

TOPIC: Social Media Strategy

Do you pay attention to your personal social body language (your collective behavior across the Internet)? While there’s no way to control every perception, you can certainly guide it toward a direction that’s right for you… but only if you’re mindful now. Bryan Kramer (author of There is No More B2B or B2C: It’s Human to Human) will reveal practical steps to create and maintain your social body language. You’ll discover how to maximize your time building your personal social brand to and how to create authentic interactions online.

How to Streamline Your Social Media Activities with Proven Tools by Ian Cleary

TOPIC: Social Media Tools

Are you spending too much time managing your social media accounts? With the right tools and know-how you can save significant amounts of time and dramatically improve your results. In this session, social tools expert Ian Cleary reveals a variety of cost-effective tools that’ll make a big difference in your social media marketing. You’ll end up spending less time and getting better results with your social media marketing.

How to Find Out Where Your Ideal Audience is Using Social Media by Neal Schaffer

TOPIC: Social Media Strategy

A smart social media strategy begins with setting up shop on the right social platforms. But where exactly are your customers and prospects hanging out these days? As consumers become users of multiple social networks, how can your business know where to focus your marketing efforts? In this actionable session, Neal Schaffer (author, Maximize Your Social) shows you how to determine which platform your audience is on and reveals how to engage with your customers once you find them.

Interested in Learning More?

If you’d like to get all the juicy tips, techniques and inside info we’ll be sharing from the conference, be sure to sign up and subscribe to our mailing list.

18 Mistakes Guaranteed to Destroy Your Online Credibility

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Social-Media-FailsSocial media influence is hotly debated topic. Everyone is talking about how to get it, who has it, how to harness it, and whether or not it can be measured.

If you’re looking to be the authority in your area of expertise, here are 18 mistakes guaranteed to destroy your online credibility –

  1. Take yourself way too seriously
  2. Never share anything valuable or helpful
  3. Ignore your followers, friends, fans
  4. Never follow anyone back
  5. Share nothing but links to your own content
  6. Write posts that offer no value
  7. Spam blog comments with links back to your website
  8. Criticize and judge everyone and everything harshly
  9. Never connect
  10. Never have conversations
  11. Blog infrequently
  12. Slam, bash and constantly spew negativity
  13. Talk down to your community
  14. Inject your opinion on subjects where you have no experience
  15. Never participate in offline networking events
  16. Keep using auto responders
  17. Behave petulantly when someone gives you constructive criticism
  18. Make it impossible to take you seriously

Geoff Livingston says “Real influencers are awarded their position for doing great things” and he’s right. To truly be influential, you’ve got to do great things. One way to start is to have an impressive body of work around a particular subject. Here are three ways to get started today –

Create

Share your knowledge by creating content that is informative and educational. Your ultimate goal should be to provide the most valuable content covering your topic of expertise. It doesn’t have to be an ebook, it could be a blog post, an infographic or even a video. Use the format that feels the most comfortable to you.

Curate

Are you reading great blogs? Share them. Do you have your own set of influencers? Interview them. Connecting this way, with those you consider to be thought leaders, is a wonderful way to provide great resources. Invite them to guest blog on your site. Share content and link to articles that you feel your peers would appreciate and find helpful. Have a resource library that would make a librarian drool and make it easily accessible.

Congregate

Keep the social in social media. Make your social real estate the place to be. It should be a no-brainer for anyone interested in your area of expertise to participate and connect with you. Encourage a sense of community by communicating with your site’s visitors and engaging with them across social networks. Invite comments, and differing opinions by asking thought-provoking questions.

Steer clear of those 18 social media fails, focus on the tips above and you’ll be well on your way to creating an impressive body of work that others will take note of referencing.

Does online influence matter to you? What social fails would you add to this list? What suggestions would you have for someone looking to up the ante on their social media influence? Which social media influencers, if any, are influencing you?

4 Ways to Kill Your Social Media Campaign

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Stop-these-social-media-mistakesHave you been looking for four sure-fire ways to kill your social media campaign? Of course you haven’t! You’re looking for tips and guidelines on how to create successful social media campaigns. So, if your social media strategy includes any of the following four faux pas, stop immediately.

Here Are Four Ways to Kill Your Social Media Campaign:

Alienate an Entire Demographic

If your brand sells a product specifically for kids, don’t just focus on marketing to moms – consider dads too. While you’re at it, make your campaign friendly enough for anyone in a parenting role. Remember, if you want an audience beyond your target market to be interested in your product, you’ve got to make them feel welcomed.

Treat Your Social Media Campaign like a Traditional Print Ad

It’s called social networking for a reason. Your social consumer wants to interact with you, so get those two-way conversations going. If you’re not offering anything more in your social media campaign than your social consumer can get from a magazine ad, why go social?

Make it Impossible to Participate

You’ve only got a few precious seconds to grab your social consumer’s attention. So, if they have to watch a 3 minute video, register, then confirm their email address and type in a CAPTCHA to participate, it isn’t going to happen. They moved on before the video was even over. Make it fast and easy for your social consumers to get involved!

And finally…

Use QR Codes that Offer Nothing of Value to Consumers

Applebee’s is a great example of a brand getting it right. Applebee’s QR code is right on their tables and when scanned during one of their Monday sporting events, you get a nice discount to use on your current meal, or a future meal. Instant gratification! (Arik Hanson recently wrote about his Black Friday QR Code Experiment and what he experienced scanning QR codes at the Mall of America.)

Now that you’ve read what NOT to do, check out “How Social Media Can Help You Rock Your Campaigns” for some additional tips to using social media successfully for your next campaign. Plus, be sure to subscribe so you won’t miss upcoming articles on the same topic.

What example would you have included as #5 on this list? What one tip would you recommend for creating a killer social media campaign? Share you comments with us below.